Varathep pushes bill on protection of personal data
After his appointment as chairman of the Committee on State News and Information, PM's Office Minister Varathep Rattanakorn is pushing the Cabinet-approved draft bill on personal-data protection through Parliament in the hope that it would help curb cases
According to Varathep, who is also deputy minister of agriculture and cooperatives, the Civil Service News and Information Act of 2011 clearly specified that an individual’s written consent is required before his or her personal data in the government’s database can be released to others. This includes educational background, health records, residential address and telephone numbers.
Since Thailand has no laws governing misuse of public data, there have been a rising number of cases involving their inappropriate use by various businesses trying to make sales of such items as credit cards and insurance, or direct sales of various goods. This has caused annoyances, intrusion of personal privacy and even damage to the public.
Furthermore, the Civil Service News and Information Act of 2011 was based on the Official Information Act, a law that had been in effect since 1997, and which gradually improved communications between the state and the public considerably. The act also keeps the public informed about the state’s procurements and hiring, thus reducing the potential for corruption and fraud. However, state officials must be cautious in disclosing information from the government’s database as inappropriate use of information may cause damage to the state, Varathep added.
He said the government intended to tackle fraud and graft within state organisations, especially relating to procurements and hiring. The Information Act can help facilitate this in three ways.
1. Regulate the disclosure of information of the state’s procurements and hiring, creating fairness to private-sector bidders;
2. Allow private entities to observe the state’s procurement/hiring bidding process;
3. Establish a committee to ensure transparency in the state’s procurement/hiring process.
Meanwhile, Varathep presented awards to 31 state agencies that are models for the establishment of a news and information centre in accordance with the objectives of the Information Act.
